Replaceable heels for shoes



Aug. 24, 1965 F. CESTA 3,201,877

REPLACEABLE HEELS FOR SHOES Filed July 6, 1964 n raz' f si.' /4/1A j@ m1? ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,201,877 REPLACEABLE HEELS FR SHOES Frank Cesta, Vineland, NJ., assigner of thirty-five percent to Alfred W. Fisher, Vineland, NJ., thirty-seven and one-half percent to llaul Phillippi Hilliard, Cherry Hill, NJ., live percent to John Mucciarelli, Vineland, NJ., and two and one-half percent to Martin L. Pagliughi, Vineland, N .J

Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,213 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-36) y yThis invention relates to detachable and replaceable heels for shoes.

A satisfactory form of replaceable heel for shoes is shown and described in my prior patent, No. 2,945,311, and the present invention relates to further improvements of the structure therein disclosed.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide detachable heels for shoes which have a Wider range of usefulness in that the same heel construction can be used on shoes for right and for left feet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide detachable heels for shoes in which the construction is simplified while providing greater reliability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide replaceable heels of the character aforesaid in which the appearance is unimpaired.

Other objects and advantageous Ifeatures of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE l is a View in perspective of the heel base portion of a shoe removed from the shoe and having the heel tread member attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is an underneath plan view `of the heel base portion, the heel tread member being detached therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the heel tread member removed from the shoe;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken approximately on the line 4 4 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modification-s and changes can be made in the structure disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, for purposes of illustration the base portion of a heel is illustrated at 10, the same being made of leather, rubber or other suitable material .as desired, and permanently attached to the sole of a shoe (not shown) in any desired manner.

The heel base portion is provided with a central opening 11 and has a recess 12 on the lower face 13 thereof for the reception of a locking plate 15. The locking plate 15 is preferably made as a metal stamping, and secured in position in any desired manner such as by a plurality of screws 16 which extend upwardly into the heel base portion 10, as in my prior patent. The locking plate I5 is preferably also partially set into the heel base portion 10 as will be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The plate 15 has a rear transverse opening 19 therethrough with a rear marginal edge 20 which serves as a hinge component :or fulcrum, as before.

The plate 15 is preferably provided with transverse stuck up tongues 2l and 22 and longitudinal stuck up tongues 23 and 24 at opposite ends of the opening 19.

3,261,877 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 ICC A spring 25 is provided having a leg 26 with a Vterminal 27 at one end and a U shaped loop 28 at the other from which a substantially straight arm 29 extends with a transverse end portion 30 extending in the opposite direction from that of the leg 26.

The spring 25 near its end 27 engages the forward face of one of the tongues, such as the tongue 22, and then extends transversely and across the rear face of the tongue 21, displacement being limited by the tongue 23 upon releasing of the spring 25.

The plate 15 at the other end has a forward transverse opening 31 with an upwardly extending transverse tongue 32 along its front edge, the tongue 32 having a guide slot 33 for the reception and retention of the arm portion 29 of the spring 25. The opening 31 has longitudinal position indicating tongues 34 and 35 at opposite ends thereof. The tongue 32 is preferably tilted for a wedging action in use.

In order to control the positioning of the arm portion 29 of the spring 25, for unlocking and locking, a release pin 36 is provided, inserted in an opening 37 'in the heel base portion 1li. The pin 36 hasV a head 38 which abuts against the end of the transverse portion 30 of the spring 25. The head 38 is larger than the opening 37 so `that outward movement of the pin 36 is limited. The end 39 of the pin opposite the head 38 is 'accessible for manual actuation by a tool (not shown) having a pin for engagement with the end 39.

A heel pad or tread member 40 is provided which may be made of any desired material but is preferably made of rubber or other desired material symmetrical about a longitudinal plane and has a body portion with la plate 41 preferably of sheet metal and formed as a stamping molded or otherwise secured therein. The plate 41 has a Ihinge propection 42 which is adapted to engage over the rear marginal edge 20 of the plate opening 19 to provide a rear hinge.

The plate 41 at the opposite or forward end is provided with a ledge 43 extending therefrom. The ledge 43 has a central transverse slot 44 formed therein with a central access opening 45. The access opening 45 has opposite inclined margins 46 to facilitate the entry of the spring arm portion 29. The ledge 43 is preferably tilted for a Wedging acti-on with the tongue 32 in use.

The mode of attachment land detachment of the heel pad or tread 40 will now be pointed out.

When it is desired to initially apply .a heel tread member 4t) the pin 36 is pressed inwardly with a suitable tool (not shown) so that the spring arm portion 29 is located centrally.

The heel tread member 40 to be mounted is then brought to a position to engage the hinge projections 42 over the rear marginal edge 20 of the plate opening 19 and the ledge 43 is then moved upwardly through the opening 3l, the access opening 45 being at a location so that the spring arm portion 29 can enter 'and be positioned in the central slot 44. Upon release of the force exerted on the pin 36 the spring arm 29 will then move to one end of the sl-ot 44 locking the heel tread member 40 in position. The 'heel tread member 40 will thus be retained in tight iixed relation with respect to the heel base portion 10.

If replacement of the heel tread member 40 is required by reason of wear, a tool, as previously pointed out is inserted in the opening 37 and the pin 36 moved -to move the spring arm portion 29 to a central position for retraction through the access opening 45.

A new heel tread member 40 may then be inserted as previously explained and the pin 36 released so that the spring arm portion 29 can enter the slot 44 through the access opening 45.

Iclaim;A 't

a plate therein and a heel tready portion with a plate there-k geene?? in, one of said plates having a projection extending there Vfrom and the other having an opening therethrough, saidA projection extending through said opening in the other plate and engaging the other plate, oneof said Yplates -having a transverse ledge extending therefrom'and theother of saidplates having a ledge receiving opening therethrough, said ledge having. a freefedge, theV other of said plates having a transverse tongue vextending therefrom valong which said ledge is disposed, said ledge and'said tongue having slots therealong and the slot in the ledge l having a central access opening from the free edge to the slot, and a lockingspring mounted at one end on one of said plates having a leg portion insertable in said access opening and resiliently movable yalong said slots.

2. A heel constructionas defined in claim 1 in which said one of said plates having said'to'ngue has a rear slotY with a pair of 4stuck out tongues' .at each side thereof, each with forward and rearward margins, 'and said spring'has a mounting leg portion'engageableV with a forward margin of one of the stuck out tongues on one side and extending between the margins of the stuckfout tongues at the other i side thereof and in engagement with at least one of said latter stuck lout tongues. Y Y

3.V A heel construction having a heel base portion with a first plate therein and a heel tread portion with a'second plate therein, said iirst plate having a rear transverse. slot with a rear edge and a'V front transverse slot lwith a trans'-r verse holding tongue extending therealong from the'plate,

said tongue being provided with aspring'receiving guide V"slot, said rear slot havingiatV 'the ends thereof spring leg engaging tongues, a spring carriedjby said rst plate hav- Y ing a leg portion engaging said spring legengaging tongues and an arm portion extending through said guideslot, said second plate having a projection extending through said rear slot and engaging said rear edge,ksaid second plate having a transverse ledge extending therefrom and through Vsaidfront sot and-being disposedV along said holding tongue, said ledge having la central slot extendingralong vsaid guide slot for movement of said spring arm portion in either direction and havingra central` access opening communicating with said central slot for entrance and ,exitof said springarm portion.y Y y Y Y 4. A heelreonstructiongas dened'inclaim 3V in which said springhas atransversely` extending portion, Y,and a movable member is provided in said heel base portion eni gageable with said transversely extending portionfor moving said Spring with respect to said access opening.

References Cited bythe Examiner JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.'

n FRANK J. COHEN,.Examiner. 

1. A HEEL CONSTRUCTION HAVING A HELL BASE PORTION WITH A PLATE THEREIN AND A HEEL TREAD PORTION WITH A PLATE THEREIN, ONE OF SAID PLATES HAVING A PROJECTION EXTENDING THEREFROM AND THE OTHER HAVING AN OPEINING THERETHROUGH, SAID PROJECTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN THE OTHER PLATE AND ENGAGING THE OTHER PLATE, ONE OF SAID PLATES HAVING A TRANSVERSE LEDGE EXTENDING THEREFROM AND THE OTHER OF SAID PLATES HAVING A LEDGE RECEIVING OPENING THERETHROUGH, SAID LEDGE HAVING A FREE EDGE, THE OTHER OF SAID PLATES HAVING A TRANSVERSE TONGUE EXTENDING THEREFROM ALONG WHICH SAID LEDGE IS DISPOSED, SAID LEDGE AND SAID TONGUE HAVING SLOTS THREALONG AND THE SLOT IN THE LEDGE HAVING A CENTRAL ACCESS OPENING FROM THE FREE EDGE TO THE SLOT, AND A LOCKING SPRING MOUNTED AT ONE END ON ONE OF SAID PLATES HAVING A LEG PORTION INSERTABLE IN SAIUD ACCESS OPENING AND RESILIENTLY MOVABLE ALONG SAID SLOTS. 